Means for cooking canned goods



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 RB. MERRILLKz G. H. LOVELL.

(-No Model.)

MEANS FOR 000mm GANNBDGOODS. No. 498,368.

Patented May 30,

.zlllorney -2 she etsesheet 2. LL.

(No Mo q elg) Y -1". B! MERRILL & G. H. LOVE MEANS FOR 000mm, CANNED Goons, No; 498,358.

Patentd May '30 1893;

Imam-20% UNITED STATES i Fries.

FERDINAND B. MERRILL AND GEORGE ll. llOVELL, 0F YARMOUTH, MAINE.

MEANS FOR COOKING CANNED GOQDS.

SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent No. 498,358, dated May 30, 1893.

Application filed October 8,1892. Serial No. 448.227. (No m d l-1' To all whom it may ooncrm Be it known that we, FERDINAND B. MER- RILL and GEORGE H. LOVELL, citizens of the United States, residing at Yarmouth, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Cooking Canned Goods; and we do hereby declare the follow ing to be a full, cleanand exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to improve the cooking of canned goods and especially corn in cans. v

Heretofore the cans containing corn or other articles of food have generally been subjected to the steam heat or othermeans of cookery .While supported in trays or" by other means inaintaining'a constant position. As a consequehce'the contents are more or less imperfectly and unequally heated, the cooking being greatest near the tin of the can and least at the center. No regular and thoroughly efour invention every grain or other particle is ficientstirring action'has beenempl'oyeu. By

equally and thoroughly cooked, since each in turn is exposed to the greatest calorific action by a thorough reversing and shaking motion which mixes the entire contents together in the most eifective manner, the said invention consisting in devices'for causing the cans and all that is within them to turn while undergoing cookery, they being carried bodily around through a steam chest or other cooker and being preferably givenindependent axial ving opening below into the interior of the rotation also. .To effect this we make use of various constructions and combinations of tical section through a cooker embodying our invention.

tion on the line a:-w of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 rep1- resents a detail view of one of the cans inpo Fig. 2 represents a horizontal sec-- structure.

- 13 designates several parallel series of are steam tight, like all other parts -ofthe pair serving for one line of cans E. The

chains likewise are arranged in pairs 'alternating with the cans.

The opposite links-of each pair of chains are connected by flights F at such intervals as to leave space for theindividual cans. The

stems f of these flights extend beyondthe angle-irons and are provided with collars or stops f' to make them keep their relative position, these latter parts extending down outside the said angle-irons. The ends of the anlapping to complete the guideway. The chain isbroken away from a part of Fig.1 to make this construction plainer; t

The cans are fed to the chains and guideways by rollers- G, one to each two pairs of' chains turning in a steam-tight casing H which receives them through inlet tubes I corresponding in number and arrangement to the pairs of guideways and chains, the said cascooker. The feed roller G hasa pair of pockets G arranged respectively under the said inlet -tubes. With each rotation of the said roller one of the cans drops from each pocket on one of theupper guideways and is carried alongin the zigzag path stated by the flight ."next behind which of course travels with its chain. While it'is'so doing the friction of the cans on their'axesg andin addition as they pass around in th'e ...cu'l*v.ed paiftsfd d of the guideway they I are necessarily -completely turned, so as to invert and stir up their contents. Indeedv during this zigzag trav l th Isaidcontentsjwill beturned, shaken up a d .gle-bars curve up, as shown, at their upper ends (1 and down at their lower ends d, over- .the guide-way will of course 'tend to turn all stirred manytimes and the heat to which it is subjected will have equal effect on every part. The bottom of the said cooker is inclined and the lower guide ways and chains follow the same inclination facilitating the outwa l passage of the cans of cooked corn.

' This takes place at points directly under the V cm to inlets as shown; though such arrangementis not indispensable. The cans drop one by one into outlets J similar to outlets I and thus .reach pockets K in one of the outlet feedingroll'ers K similar to rollers-G, and each turping in a casing L which is the counterpart of casing'I-l. From the lower part of this casipg discharge tubes M allow the cans one by fall into any convenient receptacle. Instead of this endless chain construction, we may employ a series of cylinders carryingthe cansaround with them or any other suitable known means for effecting the rotation and stirring of the contents. But the chains and guideways are more'satisfactory insuring the rotation due to friction as wellas that due to the line of travel. i

Steam is admitted to the interior of the cooker through an inlet pipe 0, arranged preferably at the bottom thereof; and acts directly on the cans. Of course hot air may be employed instead; or any other known heating agent inside or outside of the said cooker. j y

The guideways' may be fastened to a removable frame instead of being fastened didirect-1y to the wall of the cooker as described.

'-we claim as new,

Having thus described our invention, what and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is--

' ing cans containing 1. In combination with means for snpport= ing on their sides, cans containing food, a traveling chain arranged to propel the said cans forward, thereby causing'their rotation, and devices for applying heat to the said cans to cook their contents while thus rotated I 2. In combination with means for support food, an endless chain arranged to propel the cans in a path turuin" on itself so as to cause their rotation and devices for applying heat to the said cans toneaese cook their contents while-they are music tating substantially as setvforth.

ing the chains andapplying heat substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with chains arranged to carry the cans in a zigzag path, turning upon itself to rotate them, a

cooker which incloses and supports the said devices substantially as se't forth,

6. A eookerifor' canned withan inlet and an outlet in combination with devices controlling them andnnecham I ism within the said cooker for carrying the cans containing corn or any other suitable material from the said inlet to' the said on t let and causing them tor'otateon the wayir,

7. A feeding roller provided with a pobket or po'ckets,

in eornbinationwith a casingin which it turns, mechanism arranged. below it for receiving carrying and rotatingtlie as they are dropped one by one and a cooker to which the said'parts areattaohedflsubstan tially as set forth.

8. In combinationwitli acookerhhilingian inlet and an outlet, a'roller'arranged in each. and provided with pockets for receivingand the cans individuallys'ubstan g discharging tially as set forth. I

In testimony whereof weatliirour signathres in presence of two witnessesexr.

FERDINANDB; MERRIIJJ.

GEORGE H. novnmaa Witnesses;

Leon R. 000K,

FRANK W. BUGKNAMQ,

guideways and goods provided each receiving onecanata' time t 56* said cans i 

